Method of constructing slippers



Jan. 18, 1949. wu sc METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING SLIPPERS Filed Jan. 8, 1947)//.m1/ nm11m Wxm BENJAMIN wuus fi BY ATTORNE Patented Jan. 18, 1949METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING SLIPPERS Benjamin Wunsch, New York, N. Y.,assignor of one-half to Isidor Wunsch, Bronx, N. Y.

Application January 8, 1947, Serial No. 720,792

This invention relates to slippers and similar footwear of the typeemploying a soft insole and a hard outer sole with means for finishinand uniting peripheral edge portions of the soles and the correspondingedges of the uppers. Still more particularly, the invention deals with anew method of assembling and attaching the parts so as to produce a neatand finished appearance and to control, to a large degree, sizing of theslipper upper in attaching the same to a presized hard sole. Further, myinvention deals with footwear of the kind described and a method ofproducing the same wherein an intermediate or spacer sole is employed toproduce a thicker sole structure and, further, to raise the heel portionof the footwear.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from thefollowing description, when taken together with the accompanyingdrawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosedand, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable referencecharacters in each of the views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a slipper showing one adaptation of myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through part of an upper and part of an innersole illustrating the method of attaching the same together.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the method of attaching abinder or finishing strip to the joined edges of the insole and upper.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. l on an enlarged scale,showing the complete assemblage with the outer or hard sole stitched inposition.

Fig. 5 is a side and sectional view of a modified form of outer solewhich I employ; and

Fig. 6 is a side view of a part of a slipper employing the sole of Fig.5 with part of the construction broken away and in section.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, I have shown in illustrating one adaptationand use of my invention a slipper I 0, comprising an upper formed fromseparately stitched or otherwise united parts namely a toe and side wallportion II, a top wall portion l2 and a rear heel portion I 3 having anupwardly extending flange portion M which may be used in the raisedposition shown in Fig. l or turned down to expose the inner fur or napfacing of the skin or leather from which the sole portions of theslipper are formed. In other words, in the construction shown, theslipper is of a fur-lined or skin-lined type.

Considering now Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawing. it will be seen that,secured to the walls II and 2 Claims. (Cl. 12-142) l3, in a manner laterdescribed, there is an insole I6 which also preferably has the fur orother skin facing ll, at least within the body portion of the slipper.At 18 is shown the hard outer sole of facing which may be composed of aleather, rubber or composition materials of any type or kind and thismay be partially secured to the insole l6 by a suitable adhesive.

In constructing the footwear such as the slipper shown, the walls II andI3 of the upper are first secured together and, then, to the insole 16by a cast-over or other stitching l9 as clearly seen in Fig. 2 of thedrawing so as to reinforce and strengthen the joined edges of therelatively soft side walls and insole, the side walls having asindicated at 20 in Fig. 2 of the drawing, out-- wardly extending flangeportions which facilitate the attachment in question.

In Fig. 3 of the drawing, I have shown the next step in the method ofproducing the footwear which consists in securing a finishing strip orbinder 2| to the flanged edge 20 and to the outer edge portion 22 of theinsole E6. The strip 25 has an inturned upper edge 23 and, in attachingthe strip 2|, a stitching, as at 24. passes through the inturned edge23, the flange 26, the insole H3 and the lower edge 25 of the strip 2 l.

The next step in the production of the slipper comprises attaching theouter hard sole iii to the insole IS. The sole I8 is preferably pre--'shaped to a desired size and the sole I8 is secured in position by aline of stitching as at 26,

preferably arranged outwardly of the stitching 24 and, in thisoperation, the upper is stretched sufficiently to bring the outerflanged edge 2!! of the upper and the outer edge 22 of the insole inalinement with the peripheral edge 2? of the outer sole, thusmaintaining a neat and finished appearance of the resulting footwear, aswell as to bring the footwear to a substantially controlled size. Thesoft material of the upper, including the insole, is sufficient to yieldto the slight strains to which the same is subjected in sizing the upperto the lower sole.

The above operation completes the formation of the footwear and it willbe apparent that the turned edge 23 of the binder will be arranged inthe corner portion of the footwear where the side walls H and I3 extendupwardly, as seen at 28 in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing. As previouslystated, the insole l6 may be glued or otherwise secured to the outersole l8 and, if an adhesive is employed, this will be applied prior tothe stitching operation 26. However, in footwear of the specific typeand kind shown, the use of an adhesive is not absolutely essential.

In Figs. and 6 of the drawing, I have shown I has a facing or binderstrip 32 secured to the peripheral edge thereof by a stitching; as at33, or any other means of attachment may be provided. After the binderstrip 32 has been secured in position, the outer sole I8 is first'temporarily attached to the intermediate sole 29 by two or more wirestaples, as at 34, or by other suitable means simply to hold these twosoles in aline'ment'with each other preparatoryto stitching'to theinsole of the footwear. The assemblage, as seen in Fig. 5, is thensecured to the footwear having the insole I6 attached thereto by a lineof stitching 35 positioned outwardly of the stitching 24 for attachingthe binder or finishing strip 2! to the insole I6. After'the'assembla'ge's'h'own in Fig. 5 has'been secured' to the insole l6by'the stitching 35', the temporary fastenings, as at 34, can beremoved. In some types of footwear, it may be desirable to first cement-the so1e -l8'to the intermediate sole 29 and, then,

to cement the sole 29 to the insole l6 just prior to the stitchingoperation and so as to facilitate sizing of the upper on the outer soleunit as'previously stated in connection with the'structure of Figs. 1-4inclusive.

In footwear of the type and kind disclosed,"it is preferable that theupper wall 12, disposed i over the toe portion of the slipper, beattached after the assemblages of the insole andouter sole,

so as to give the operator'full freedom and'manip- 'ulation of the upperand insole'in sizing the upper to'thepre-sized outer or hard sole.

By constructing footwear in accordance with the method disclosed, inaddition toproducing a neat and finished product, the attachmentbetween'the upper and soles of the footwear is reinforc'ed by thestitchings 'employed'and the castover stitchings, such as l9, areprotected by the binder or finishing strip 2|. It is also preferred thatthe stitchings as at 26, 35 be'disposed between the cast-overstitchingsas, for example,

at-l9 and the stitchings, 24'. In this way, the

4 strain of the upper is first taken up by the stitching 24, 24' beforetransmission to the stitchings as at 26, 35. My improved method offorming footwear also produces a sufficiently protruding edge portion onthe resulting sole to guard and protect the upper to a large degreewhich is particularly desirable in the construction of chil- V drensfootwear.

Having fully described ,1 my "invention, "what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is: g

1. The method of forming footwear of the class described, whichcomprisesfirst uniting side wall portions of the upper, then attaching theoutwardly extending peripheral flanges at lower edges of the side wallsto the corresponding edges 'of a soft insole, then'attaching lower edgesof the upper and peripheral edges ofthe insole to peripheral edgeportions of a hard sole by a single line of stitching, and stretchingthe'upper and insole'in stitching the sametogether to size the upper andinsole to the s'ize'determine'd :bysaid hard sole. i

2. The method of forming'footwear of-the class described whichcomprises-first stitching peripheral edge portions'of a'flexible insoleto outwardly extending peripheral flange portions-of-an upper byanovercast stitching, then securing'abinder and finishing strip to saidjoined edge portions of the insole and upper=bya-line of stitching-'ar-' ranged at the inner portions'of the flange by said upper, bindingthe peripheral edge ofan intermediate sole, then securing saidintermediate soleto'the upper surface of a hard sole,--and the stitchingthe hard sole and intermediate sole to the bound and unitededges of theinsole and upper'by a single line of stitching.

BENJAMIN 'WUNSCH:

REFERENCES CITED The following referencesare of record "in the fileof'this patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS Earl Feb. 5. I943

